In reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,878 of Feb. 11, 1992, Steven M. Swift illustrated and described his tool and workplace lubrication system having a modified air line lubricator to create and to start the delivery of a uniformly flowing pressurized air flow with oil, to deliver the oil continuously and uniformly, where a metal part is being formed. In FIG. 7 of this patent he illustrated how the pressurized air flow with the oil was divided into two equal flows to deliver the oil to opposite sides of a circular saw.
Subsequently, Steven M. Swift wanted to divide this pressurized air flow with oil into several equal flows to deliver the oil to several places of use. In reviewing inventions of others, the following features were noted.
In some U.S. patents, one liquid or one gas was received from one source and then distributed in portions, often equal portions, to several locales of utilization. In respect to this group of patents:
In 1932, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,885,500, Larkin R. Williamson illustrated and described his lubricating system for a power press, wherein a reservoir above was kept filled, upon operation of a pump, with sufficient lubricant to distribute lubricant, by gravity flow, to many distributing lines connected to the bottom of the reservoir and directed respectively to many places on the power press, which were being lubricated;
In 1944, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,620, Edward H. Kocker, disclosed the utilization of some of the hydraulic oil, primarily used in operating a machine tool, to also lubricate operating portions of the machine tool, via several restricted flow outlets, arranged in parallel, of a lubricating system;
In 1949, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,467,722, David B. Baker illustrated and described his oil distributing apparatus used on cotton harvesting machines. The lubricating oil was directed, via drops on a tube, to a receptacle pocket, filling this pocket to its brim or to a weir means. The lubricating oil then flowed over the brim or weir into multiple passageways leading to respective lubricating places on the harvesting machine;
In 1952, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,593,115, James C. Danly, disclosed his continuous oiling system for power presses in which the lubricant is pumped from a return oil reservoir or manifold into conduits for delivery to vat ious locations throughout the power press;
In 1958, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,832,368, John G. Freer illustrated and described his fluid distribution device to distribute either gas or liquid into a plurality of individual streams, each having a flow rate bearing a predetermined relation to the flow rates of the other streams, all of them being either a gas or a liquid stream; and
In 1985, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,567, Donelson B. Horton disclosed his fluid distributor to evenly divide the flow from a single fluid line to and between a plurality of fluid lines. One of the fluids distributed was a fertilizer containing a large proportion of particles, more or less in suspension. His fluid distributor had a rotor, having a distributing passageway portion, positioned above pie-shaped exit compartments in a tubular housing. The distributing passageway of the rotor extended from a central top opening in the overall tubular housing, downwardly, with a circumferential cant, to just above the compartmented exits. The fluid passing through the distributing passageway created a force producing the rotation of the rotor. As the rotor turned, the discharging fluid sequentially fed the compartments and passed through exits of these respective compartments.
In some other U.S. patents, one liquid and one gas were received from respective sources or from one source and then distributed in portions, often equal portions, to several locales of utilization. In respect to this group of patents:
In 1924, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,504,341, Charles C. Hansen illustrated and described his air line oiler connected to an air line, under pressure, for conveying lubricant within this air line to lubricate portions of fluid actuated machines such as rock drills, grinders, and rotary drills. Mr. Hansen provided a casing to receive the air under pressure, and to direct this air through three exits, after the air had first passed by three respective cartridges composed of wire gauze and absorbent material, such as felt, which were filled with the absorbed lubricant. Passageways extended from the three exits to three lubrication locales on a machine, to distribute the flowing air carrying the lubricant;
In 1930, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,766,663, Edward E. McClure disclosed his lubricating mechanism for edger saws. Air under pressure was directed through a tank of lubricant, and then carrying lubricant with it, the air under pressure flowed through an atomizing and regulating device, while being supplemented with more air under pressure. The air carrying the atomized lubricant then passed through a branching conduit, and on through various passageways leading to lubricating locales on the edger saws;
In 1982, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,435, Messrs. Abrams and Baumann illustrated and described their wide flow range lubricant distributor. Their distributor received a single stream of a pressurized air-oil stream, and then divided this air-oil stream into other like streams, which were essentially in uniform quantities. Their distributor projected the incoming single stream, as a spray, across a gap, and then the spray impinged the respective inlets of lubrication tubes positioned to face the spray, to collect the respective air-oil stream, and then to direct the respective air-oil stream to a lubricating locale;
Also in 1982, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,141, Horst Schell disclosed his lubricating system, which received lubricant in the form of droplets in an air-oil mixed air flow and divided this air-oil flow into at least two separate outlet streams. During the transition from one incoming stream or passageway into at least two departing streams in passageways, the air-oil flow was directed through symmetrically spaced groups of conduits, thereby dividing the air-oil flow into a plurality of intermediate currents or air-flows. Then each group of conduits respectively converged to one or the other of the two departing streams in passageways, each one leading to a respective lubricating locale. Mr. Schell's lubricating system remained free of oil mist and operated essentially independently of gravity regardless of the spacial orientation thereof; and
In 1991, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,156, Frank L. Gaunt illustrated and described his positive displacement pneumatic lubricator to deliver lubricant and atomizing air to a lubricating locale involving a tool and a workpiece. A precision, positive, displacement, pneumatic injection pump in turn operates a lubricant pump, so with each pulse of the pneumatic pump, a unit or pulse of lubricant is discharged into a lubricant passageway leading to a lubrication locale. The lubricant passageway is coaxially arranged in the interior of an atomizing air passageway, and the respective flows of lubricant and atomizing air are independently regulated.
The merit of these inventions concerned with dividing flows of one fluid, and flows of combined air flows and lubricants, are recognized. However, there remains a need for more conveniently dividing flows of one fluid, and especially flows of combined air flows and substances, consisting of multiple small units.